Apparatus to enable the blind to read



Nov; 29, 1932. c, SNOOK APPARATUS T0 ENABLE THE BLIND TO READ Filed NOV.9, 1928 Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 110mm 0.snoox, or soon: oaanon, NEW JERSEY, assmnoa TO BELL. TELEPHONELABORATORIES, INCORPORATED, 01' NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKAPPARATUS TO ENABLE THE BLIND TO READ Application filed November 9,1928. Serial No. 818,125.

This invention relates to systems and devices for producing in relief arepresentation of written or printed characters, twotone drawings,pictures, etc., and particular-' of a printed page, whereby the blindperson,

' by the sense of touch may readily comprebend the relationship of thevarious portions of the field as well as the character of each portion.

Television has already been accomplished by directing light through oneaperture at a time of a scanning disc and'causing the light beam thusformed to sweep across the field of View from which a portion of thelight is diffusely reflected to a photoelectric cell or cells; thephotoelectric currents thus generated being transmitted, afteramplification, to the receiving station and there caused to control abank of lamps which are successively associated with the transmissionline by a rotary distributor or switch which rotates synchronously withthe scanning disc. It has been suggested that, in place of lamps, in asystem of this type, a bank of plun ers be provided which aresuccessively mov more or less into the path of a beam of lightpositioned to illuminate the front of the bank. The amount of lightreflected from the face of each plunger is then determined by itsposition. In accordance with the present in-.

vention such a television system is modified in a manner which adapts itto the use of persons who are blind. In place of the lamp bank. or thebank of reflecting plungers a bank of small plungers is provided, eachplunger of which may be displaced a slight amount so that thedisplacements may be detected by the sense of touch. Furthermore,

whereas in a television system the persistence of vision is relied uponto produce the illusion of continuous motion, the entire field of viewbeing reproduced from 16 to 20 times per second, in accordance with thisinventionthe speed of scanning is in general reduced. For example, a fewsquare inches of a newspaper or other printed page may be placedopposite an opening through which a scanning beam passes. The scanningbeam has a cross sectional area less than the smallest element of detailin the printed character that it is desired to resolve. The bank ofmovable elements may consist of a bank of small rods or plungers whichmay be pushed up through the action of electromagnets individualthereto, these electromagnets being successively operated (throughrelays if necessary) by means of a synchronous switch mounted on thesame shaft as the scanning disc. 7

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionof the embodiment herein chosen for the purpose of illustration, and theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical elevationalview, partl in section of apparatus for carrying out t e invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the table in the topof which is fitted the bank of plungers;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic enlarged detail view of a plunger and itsactuated magnet, with the positions of adjacent plungers and magnetsindicated in broken lines; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of thie rfeproduced fieldshowing the letter S in re 1e Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatuscomprises a cabinet 1 which contains all of the apparatus except thebank of plungers and its actuating magnets and the means for holding theaper or drawing or other matter to be reacl The apparatus within cabinet1 is similar to that disclosed in U. S. patent Serial No. 227,649, filedOctober 1, 1927:

(which is a continuation of Serial No. 181,- 538, filed April 6, 1927)but with the transmitting and receiving television apparatus broughttogether and simplified and the receiving lamps omitted. A lamp 2supplies the light for scanning. A scanning disc 3 rotated by motor 4has the usual row of apertures arranged spirally near its periphery,through which passes light collected by the lens 5. The beams thusformed pass through the rectangular opening 6, lens 7 to mirror 8 andthence through opening 9 in the cabinet wall to the object 10 to bescanned. As one aperture after another of the scanning disc sweepsacross the open1ng 6, thin beams or pencils of light rays sweep inparallel lines across the portion of the object which is being scanned.Photoelectric cell 11 collects a part of the light reflected from theobject. If the object is ordinary news print, very little light isreflected from the print and a maximum amount from the white surface ofthe paper. The corresponding photoelectric current variations ofdifferent amplitude are amplified by amplifier 12, and pass over line13, a portion of which is in the form of a cable 14 to the table orcabinet 15 containing the reproducing apparatus. One side of the circuit13 within cable 14 is a single conductor 16 while the other side 21consists of as many conductors as there are plungers in the reproducingapparatus, these conductors being successively brought into circuit.These conductors originate in the contacting segments of distributor 17,are

then formed into three groups represented by lines 18, 19 and 20 andtogether form the conductor 21. The moving contact element 22 ofdistributor 17 is on the shaft of motor 4. \Vhile an aperture of disc 3is passing across opening 6, contact element 22 will successivelyassociate a large number of conductors 21 with line 13, the circuitbeing completed through brush 23. For purposes of illus' tration it maybe assumed that there are 25 apertures in disc 3 and 25 contacts indistributor 17 for each aperture, making a total of 625 contacts. Oneend of the line 21 terminates within the cabinet 15 in an electromagnet24 (Fig. 3) controlling the plunger 25 through rod 26. Electromagnet 24has an armature 27 of the plunger type which projects upwards beyond thewinding when the magnet is not energized and is drawn downward upon theenergization of the magnet. Spring 28 tends to throw plunger 25 upwardbut the plunger is normally in its depressed position when a whitesurface is underneath the opening 9 of cabinet 1, magnets 24 then beingenergized. The plungers 25 are banked together with their uppermostfaces in the same plane and are supported in an opening 29 (Fig. 2) inthe top of cabinet 15 with the plunger faces flush with the uppersurface of the cabinet top when the magnets 24 are energized. Alternaterows of magnets 24 may be arranged in staggered relation as indicated inFig. 3 to conserve space.

An enlarged top view of a portion of the upper surface of the plunger 25is shown in Fig. 4, each square representing a plunger. Actuatedplungers are shown in black and unactuated in white. The plungers areactuated to reproduce the letter S.

The object to be scanned such as a newspaper is placed upon a lightmovable frame work 30 which may be in turn supported on top of a table31. Frame work 30 may be readily moved by hand, the rear legs 32registering with one or another of the grooves in the corrugated element33 attached to the top of table 31. Cabinet 15 is movable with respectto the table 31 and is preferably of the same height.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. The blind person whowishes to read newspaper print, for example, takes a seat to the left oftable 31 with his left hand in position to move frame work 30 upon whichthe newspaper 1O rests and with his right arm resting on the top ofcabinet 15 in such position that the fingers of his right hand rest uponthe top of the bank of plungers 25. Motor 4 and the other apparatuswithin the cabinet 1 is kept in operation by an attendant. The portionof the paper underneath the opening 9 is then repeatedly scanned by thelight beam, as in television operation. The scanning period, however,may be greater. Assuming that there are 25 aperturesin the scanning disc3 and 625 of the plungers 25, there are 625 elemental areas in theportion of the newspaper which is being scanned at any one time. Thisportion may, for example, comprise a strip of news print surfaceone-half inch square. The blind person wishing to read the first columnof news print begining at the top would move the newspaper supportingmember 30 toward him until the upper white margin of the news sheet isreached, which is indicated to him by the depression of all of theplungers 25. In doing this the legs 32 move over the elevations of thecorrugated surface 33. He then moves support 30 away from him until thefirst line of print comes well within the field of view. Support 30 isthen moved to his right until the left hand margin is reached. The firstword of the first column of print is then in the field. Adjacent wordsand the lines below are also in the field. The carriage 30 is then movedto his left at an approximately uniform rate while the fingers of theright hand explore the plunger tops 25. As each elemental area isscanned the corresponding plunger is maintained in a depressed positionif the elemental area is white and is slightly elevated if the area isblack. As the scanning takes place very rapidly each letter is quicklyreproduced as it'enters the field. A single line only will, of course,be read at one time but it is of material assistance to the reader tohave ad'acent lines also within the field whereby if't e support 30 isaccidently misguided to a slight amount the position can be correctedthrough the sense of touch.

The operation of the mechanism within the cabinets 1 and 15 should beapparent from the above description of this apparatus. When the scanninbeam is upon one of the elemental areas 0 the field of view which is atthat moment white, a maximum amount of light is reflected from this areaand the photoelectric current which is amplified in amplifier 12 passesover line 13. At this particular instant the movable contact 22 ofdistributor 17 is upon the stationary contact which controls theelectromagnet 24 which operates the plunger 25 corresponding to thatelemental area, causing it to be depressed. In the same wa as thescanning proceeds, the various stationary contacts of distributor 17 arebrought successively into contact with movable contact 22 and in thismanner all of the electromagnets controlling the plungers 25 aresuccessively brought into operation.

The apparatus herein shown by way of illustration may obviously bemodified in many respects without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For example, if the available current through distributor 17is not large enough to effectively operate magnets 24 a relay may beinserted in circuit with each electromagnet. It may sometimes bedesirable to have the electromagnets 24 of uch size that rods 26 willslightly converge vpwardly. The electromagnets 24 may take any formwhich will best serve the purpose in hand. Frame work 30 may be omitted,in which case the reader guides the subject matter scanned by noting anyslight movement of the line of print in a direction to take it out ofthe scanning field and immediately corrects the direction of movement. Alittle practice will enable this to be readily accomplished.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for enabling a blind person to read, comprising lightsensitive means, opti-v cal means for scanning a field of view in whichthe matter to be read is placed and for affecting said light sensitivemeans in accordance with the tone values of the elemental areas of saidfield of view to set up current variations, a large number of com actlyarranged movable elements in the orm of a bank and means controlled bysaid variable current for displacing selected ones of said movableelements in accordance with the variations in said current to produce arepresentation in the form of the characters scanned whichmay be read bytouch. 7

2. A device for enabling a blind person to read, comprising lightsensitive means, optical means for repeatedly scanmn a p urality oftimes per second, a eld of view in which the matter to be read is placedand for afiecting said light sensitive cell to generate current varyingin accordance with, the tone values of elemental areas of said field, alarge number of compactly arran ed movable elements in the form of a banand means controlled by said variable current for re eatedly displacingat the rate at which said eld is scanned, selected ones of said movableelements for producing a representation in the formof the charactersscanned which may be read by touch.

3. Means for enabling a blind person to read, comprising a beam of lightfor repeatedly scanning a plurality of times per second, a field of viewin which the matter to be read is placed, light sensitive meansreceiving light reflected from said field of view, a transmission lineassociated with said light sensitive means, a large number of compactlyarranged movable elements in the form of a bank, actuating meanscontrolled by the current in said transmission line for displacingselected ones of said elements for producing a representation in theform of the characters scanned which may be read by touch, a circuit foreach of said actuating means, and means operating synchronously withsaid scanning means for selectively operating said circuits of saidactuating means.

4. Means for enabling a blind person to read, comprising a beam of lightfor repeatedly scanning a plurality of times per second, a field of viewin which the matter to be read is placed, light sensitive meansreceiving light reflected from said field of view, a transmission lineassociated with said light sensitive means, a large number of compactlyarranged movable elements in the form of a bank, actuating meanscontrolled by the current in said transmission line for displacingselected ones of said elements for producing a representation in theform of the characters scanned which may be read by touch, a circuit foreach of said actuating means, and means mechanically coupled to themovable elements of said scanning means for synchronous operationtherewith for selectively op-. erating said circuits of'said actuatingmeans.

5. A device for enabling a blind person to read, comprising lightsensitive means, optical means for scanning a field of view in which thematter to be read is placed and for aifecting said light sensitive meansin accordance with the tone values of the elemental areas of said fieldof view to set up current variations, a large number of com actlyarranged movable elements in the orm of a bank, means for holding saidmovable elements with their faces in alignment when the field of viewhas its maximum tone value, and means controlled by said variablecurrent for projecting forward selected ones of said movable elements inaccordance with the variations of current to produce a representation inthe form of the characters scanned which maybe read by touch.

6. Means for enabling a blind person to read, comprising a beam of lightfor repeatedly scanning a plurality of times per second, a field of viewin which the matter to be read is placed, light sensitive meansreceiving light reflected from said field of view, a transmission lineassociated with said light sensitive means, a large number of compactlyarranged movable elements in the form of a bank, means for maintainingthe faces of said elements in alignment when the field of view has itsmaximum tone value, actuating means controlled by current in saidtransmission line for displacing forwardly selected ones of saidelements for producing a representation in the form of the charactersscanned which may be read by touch, a circuitfor each of said actuatingmeans, and means mechanically coupled to the movable elements of saidscanning means for synchronous operation therewith for selectivelyoperating said circuits of said actuating means.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day ofNovember, 1928.

HOMER C. SNOOK.

